The seventh Los Angeles Greek Film Festival pays homage to the late Oscar-winning Greek American director Elia Kazan (“On the Waterfront”) with a 50th anniversary screening Friday evening at the Writers Guild Theatre of his epic “America, America,” which is loosely based on his uncle’s journey from Anatolia to America in 1893.

The film won the Oscar for its black-and-white art direction and was nominated for best film, directing and writing.

“We are very excited to be able to screen this epic masterpiece on the 50th anniversary since its first release for a generation that has not had the pleasure of experiencing it in the cinema,” said Ersi Danou, LAGFF’s creative director and co-founder.

The rest of the festival, which opens Thursday and continues through Sunday, shines a spotlight on new films from Greek directors. The opening-night presentation is the U.S. premiere of Spiros Stathoulopoulos’ 2012 romantic drama “Meteora.”

Besides features, the festival includes documentaries, shorts, an industry panel on “The Arts of Hollywood Production” and an awards ceremony. The closing night feature is the U.S. premiere of Kimon Tsakiris’ 2013 documentary, “Mitsigan -- Hardships & Beauties,” which revolves around Mitsos Tsiganos, a modern-day Greek cowboy and owner of a vegetable farm.